Traits of the Salves of The Rahman: 04 Fear of Hellfire
Written by: SK.
Omar Ali
Translated by Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa
dd mmm yyyy h
dd mmm yyyy ac
Thanks be to Allah, the
Lord of the worlds. Peace and prayers be upon the
most honorable of all messengers Mohammad; and all his folks, companions, and
followers to the day they are all summoned together.
The Imam is still
talking about the traits of the slaves of the Rahman. With the image painted
by Allah may He be exalted to show us a model of those who are contented with
Allah and Allah is contented with them.
In Surat Furkan Allah
says: {And the slaves of the Most Beneficent (Allâh) are those who walk on
earth in humility or modesty, and when the ignorant people address them (with
bad words) they reply back with words of Peace. And those who spend their
nights kneeling down and standing to their Lord. And those who say: Our Lord;
take away the punishment of hell, It's punishment is continuously endless, It
is such a bad place for resting and residing}
Allah showed us a number
of traits for his slaves:
1) They have the
attributes of humility and humbleness, not pride and not cockiness.
2) Their state with
other people. That is not indulging with those who are ignorant and arrogant.
He said that their reply is "Salam", when they are addressed by the ignorant
and the arrogant people.
3) The staying up at
night praying kneeling and standing in hope and in fear.
4) Today the Imam
talks about the next trait which is the fear of Hell fire punishment.
They go to their Lord,
in hope and fear. Always remembering that in this worldly life, no matter how
long they live, time will come when they will die. They remember that there is
a death and it has its struggles. And then there is a grave and it has its
embrace. They remember the day after, that there is a day of resurrection when
it will be so crowded. They know that there is the scale with all its accuracy
and precision. They know that they are going to be brought to an account, or
brought to justice and they are going to answer for what they did or said. And
they know the speed it will happen at. They do not know which side the scale
would tip towards. Will it tip towards the side of the good deeds, or towards
the side of the sins? And they know then that there is a God to worry about,
and He may become dissatisfied. They remember they will head then; either to
paradise with all its goodness or to Hell with all its pain and flame. But
mostly; it is hell fire is what they remember and think of. That is they pray:
{ Our Lord; take away the punishment of hell, It's punishment is continuously
endless, It is such a bad place for resting and residing }.
All people no matter who
they are; shall come to it, and will pass by it, over the path which is built
to run just over it. Will you make it? Or will you fall off that path into the
flames? Will you be saved or will you go to hell, literally? Will you pass
fast over that path, or will you be pulled down? Allah said: {Each and
everyone of you is coming to it, for that; God has decided that it is definite
it will come to pass, then We shall save those who feared, and we shall leave
those who transgressed in it; unable to stand.} Ebn Maisara ميسرة used to cry
and used to say: "Allah said we will be approaching it, and did not say we
will be leaving it"
Our problem is that;
that day is so far away. Far away of our thinking about it. We only think of
this life and what is in it. This life is the focus of our thinking; the orbit
of our attention, and the spectrum of our existence, and the ultimate aim of
our desires and what we hope to achieve.
In fact the next life is
so close to each individual amongst us. It is death that will bring an
individual to his next life. And death is so uncomfortably close, but we don't
think of it. Allah says: {The time of the Hour is just like the blink of an
eye; or even closer}. On the other hand the slaves of the Rahman are like a
different breed of people altogether in their way of thinking. They always
think of the next life and specifically they think of Hell.
The messenger (PPBU)
used to pray and say: {Our Lord, bring us mercy in this life; and a mercy in
the next life, and guard us from the punishment of Fire}. And He used to teach
his companions this prayer: {My Lord, be my guard from the punishment of Hell,
and from the punishment of the grave, and from the luring of the false
Massaiah, and be our protector from the enticements of life and death}.
Prophet David used to
pray and say: "My Lord; I can not bear the heat of your sun, how could I bear
the heat of your hell fire."
Dear Lord, I do not
deserve your paradise, but, I could not stand your hell fire, please Lord give
me the gift of repentance, forgive my sins, for you are the most gracious the
most forgiving.
Allah says: {Our Lord,
you didn't create all this in vain, praise be to you. Guard us from fire. Our
lord, this who you condemn to hell fire, you have shamed them. Transgressors
will have no supporters}
Shaming someone in this
context is insulting them and disgracing them. For Hell fire is not just a
physical burning punishment, but also It is a mental or psychological
punishmetn too. Some of the companions used to grab the covers of the Ka3ba
and cry: "Lord is there any other form of punishment other than fire. How
could we stand it". And the messenger PPBU said: {Never forget the two
tremendous ones, paradise and Hell fire} He also said: {I never seen anything
like Hell fire with the one running away from it is falling asleep, and never
seen anything like paradise with the one seeking it is falling asleep}.
Dear believers, no
matter how long one live, one is going to die. Ten years, a hundred years or
even a thousand years; time comes when one will certainly die. And after death
there is no other place but: paradise or Hell fire.
Save your selves from
hell fire by doing good deeds and by refraining from doing sin and forbidden
acts. Save your selves by doing the compulsory worships and avoiding the
forbidden. By giving others what is rightfully theirs. The rights of Allah,
and the rights of people. Jesus PBU said: {Many a person with a healthy body,
and an eloquent tong, and a beautiful face, tomorrow in between the layers of
fire it shall scream}
For tomorrow there is
accounting and no work, and today; there is work with no accounting.
Therefore, work today for tomorrow and save yourself from fire. The messenger
PPBU used to pray by saying: {I ask you for paradise and for all words and
acts that bring closer to it. And with your grace to keep me away from the
fire and from all word or acts that bring closer to it.}
Hasan Basry passed a
young man caught up in a fit of laughter. He said to him: "what has got you
laughing? Have you found out whether you will be carrying your records by your
left or right? He answered: No. then he asked him: Have you passed through the
path, and found out; that you have made it? He answered: No. He asked him:
Have you found out if you are falling into hell; or if you are save from it?
He answered: No. He asked him: why are you laughing then. The young man
started crying."
One does not need to
cry, but certainly remember the next life. Every now and then remember the
hell fire in order to straighten up your lives, improve your actions and
words.
"Lord give us a mercy in
this life, and a mercy in the next life, and protect us from the punishment of
fire."
Notes:
-
Adhan
- The call to prayer.
-
Ansar (or Al-Ansar):
The inhabitants of the city of Al-Medina that received and supported the
messenger (PPBU) when he immigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of
Islam.
Assalam Alaikum -
The Islamic greeting, literately means: Peace
be with you. Used when approaching or leaving. When used during approaching
it will be like saying: I bring no harm to you . and when said during
leaving somebody it will mean: No harm will come to you after I leave.
Aya (or Ayah):
is a verse of the Koran.
It also means a miracle or a sign from God.
Arafa (or Arafah or Arafat):
is a mountain
outside the city of Mecca
that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing
Hajj must stay at this location on the same
day.
Badr
- The place of the first significant battle between the Muslims and the
pagans of the Quraish. It is located in Saudi Arabia.
Caliph
- A Muslim ruler. See:
(Khalifa)
Dajjal
- Antichrist or the False Massiah.
Dawah
- The proliferation of Islamic teachings through word and deed.
Deen (Din)
- Religion or way of life.
Duaa:
a prayer in the form of
talking to Allah;
praising him and asking him for help.
Fatwa
- Legal verdict given based on the Qur'an (Koran) and the Sunnah which are
the recorded sayings and deeds of Muhammad.
Ferdose:
is the highest level of
the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.
Fiqh
- Religious law.
Hadeeth:
is something reported
that the messenger have said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave.
It is usually narrated or told by one
of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are
reported and checked to be genuine. No
more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list.
Hajar -
The Black Stone set into the corner of the
Ka'aba in Mecca. It is said to be a stone from Heaven.
Hajj -
The pilgrimage to Mecca which takes place in
the last month of the Islamic calendar. One of the five pillars of Islam.
Hasana or hasanas:
is the reward for a good deed. a hasana is a point or a merit for a good deed.
Hadith
- The sayings and not deeds of the prophet Muhammad recorded by his
followers. Considered authoritative and perfect.
Hajj: is
the worship of pilgrimage.
Hijra (or
Hejrah):
the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This
event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12
months based on the lunar cycle, each is 29.5 days. Hijra is also used as a
name for the Islamic dating system.
Ibadah -
Worship. All the words and deeds with which
Allah is pleased. These deeds could be prayer and charity.
Iblis - (Ibleese):
On of Satan's names.
Ibn (Ebn): the son of. Used
by Arabs as part of an individual's name. Example: Ali whose father is Omar
or the son of Omar, would be called: Ali Ibn
Omar.
Imam
(or Emam)- The leader for a prayer. In the Shiaa sect, an Imam is the individual who has the religious authority.
Iman:
belief or faith
Injil (Enjeel) -
The Bible. The book inspired to Jesus for the
Christians.
Islam
- Submission, the religion of all the
prophets of Allah culminating in Muhammad.
Jannah -
The heavenly garden, Paradise. The place of
the faithful in the afterlife.
Jihad:
is striving in the
line
of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving
oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection
of Allah's word. The greatest Jihad is the
fight one's self against temptations.
It also means "holy war."
Jinn
-
Supernatural, invisible beings race of
beings, below angels. They were made from fire. Like humans, there amongst
them are the faithful and the non beleivers and Jinn shall be judged on
Judgment Day.
Ka'aba:
A cube shaped building in
Mecca containing a stone laid there by Abraham and Ishmael. Some say
Ka'aba was first built by Adam, and some say by
Abraham. It is the holiest place for Muslims. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers.
Ka'aba also makes a major part of the pilgrimage
in a ritual known as Tawaf.
Khalifa:
is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation:
"Successor".
Khutbah -
A sermon given in a Mosque, usually on Friday.
Kufr -
Denial or Disbelief. A term Muslims use for
anyone who denies existence of Allah or the prophecy of Muhammed.
Koran
- Also spelled Qur'an. The holy book
of Islam revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the Archangel Gabriel. Koran
literally means "the recital." It is the final revelation of Allah given to
the prophet Muhammad. It consists of 114 surahs (or chapters.)
Madinah - (Medinah): A city in the
Arabian
peninsula
(in the country known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to
immigrate to.
Then it was called Yathrib.
Masjid -
A
center for Muslim activity. It is referred to as a mosque.
Masiah -
A
sin, or a sinful act
Mecca or Makkah:
is
the holiest city for Muslims. It contains the Ka'aba mosque with the famous
black cubical shape. Mecca is the birth place of the messenger (PPBU).
Mosque - A Muslim
house of worship.
Muhajir -
(Muhajireen)
Immigrant, one who leaves his home town due to lack of religious freedom. It
was first used to describe early Muslims immigrating from Mecca to Median
and Ethiopia.
Muhammad -
the final messenger and
prophet of God whose message abrogated all previous revelations. He
received the Koran through the angel Gabriel over a 23 year period. Born in
Mecca and died in Medina at the age of 63. His full name: Muhammad
ibn Abd-Allah
Muslim
- One who holds faith to the religion of
Islam.
Nafilah:
a voluntary prayer other
than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.
Nasara -
Christians. Nasrani:
A Christian individual. Nasraniah:
Christianity.
Ommah:
is the Arabic word for a
nation. It usually refers to
the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.
Paradise -
Another word for heaven. A
garden of bliss, fruits, rivers and all forms of pleasures imaginable and
imaginable. No suffering, disease or death. Service is provided by angels.
All live in it an ever lasting youthful life. Promised by Almighty
Allah to all faithful, true Jews, true Christians and True Muslims. Paradise
is one of two places every person will go to, either Paradise or Hellfire.
PPBU
(P.B.U.H.) :
Peace and Prayers Be
Upon him. A statement Muslims use any time they mention the name of the
messenger or make a reference to him.
Qadar -
Fate. Preordainment is the teaching that all
things, good and bad, are preordained to occur.
Qadr - (night of Qadr):
The night when the first
revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during one of the
last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. Or when the Koran was brought down to
the nearest heaven in one go, and from there it was brought down in bits and
few verses at a time over a period of 23 years. This night is considered the
holiest night for Muslims with tremendous advantages.
Qibla -
The direction which Muslims turn for daily
prayers, towards Mecca.
Quraish -
An ancient Arab tribe to which the messenger
Muhammad belonged.
Ramadan -
The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which
is the month of the fast. The holiest month in the Muslim colander.
Salat -
Prayers. Generally it covers all forms of
worship, but more specifically refers to the Muslim rituals which is
performed to worship Allah five times daily.
Shiaa:
A sect of Islam that teaches that a religion
leader (Imam) should be the political ruler and must be direct descendants
of the messenger (PPBU). Therefore, disapproving of all Muslim leaders who
ruled After the messenger (PPBU) except Ali, the messenger's grandson.
Shirk -
Associating another god with Allah. Or associating anyone or anything with
Allah. Or using anyone or anything as a medium to Allah. The opposite of
Monotheism or Tawheed.
Siam or Soam-
Fasting
Sunni:
is a the title of those Muslims who are suppose to be following the life
style of the messenger. This differentiates them from the Shiaa of Iran.
Sunna (Sunnah):
Is how the Messenger PPBU lived, what he did or said. It includes the way he
dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought.
Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered
the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered to be an
important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes.
It is also a title give to the main stream Muslims who make 90% if all
Muslims.
Surah -
A
chapter of the Koran.
Tawaf:
part of the pilgrimage (Hajj)
ritual. It involves walking round the Ka'aba Mosque in anti-clock wise
direction a number of seven circles.
Tauhid - Tawheed -
Monotheism, in Islam is the teaching that
there is only one God who alone is worthy of worship. The first requirement
of becoming a Muslim. It is included in the testimony of faith for new
Muslims when declaring that God is one: (No God but Allah)
Taqwah -
Proper fear and veneration of Allah. A divine spark that enables the person
to understand God.
Taurat: The old
Testaments and scriptures of Mosa.
Ummah -
the word means: a Nation. Usually refers to
the Islamic nation unless otherwise stated.
Umrah - (Amrah):
A mini hajj. A Minor form of pilgrimage to
Mecca. Unlike Hajj which can only be done on the 12th month of the Islamic
year, Umrah can be performed at any time.
Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual
done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.
Zaboor -
The
Psalms
Zakat -
The
third pillar of Islam. Alms giving, charity that is given to the poor.
